Reports from committees

Report: 7
Date: 15 September 2011
By: Chief Executive

Summary

At each meeting of the Authority members will receive a report from committees that have meet in recent weeks.

This report from the Authority’s committees provides members with details of the key items considered at each of the committees and their Sub-committees.

This report covers the following meetings:

• Corporate Governance Committee - 7 July
• Standards Committee – 13 July 2011
• Strategic and Operational Policing Committee – 14 July 2011
• Finance and Resources Committee – 21 July

Corporate Governance Committee - 7 July

Members Present: Toby Harris (Chair), Valerie Brasse and Joanne McCartney.

Committee work programme

The Committee approved its work programme for the coming year.

MPA Urgency procedure annual review

Following a review the MPA urgency procedure which was carried out in 2009 it was agreed that an annual report on the use of the procedure be presented to members. The Committee received the second such annual report which contained a summary of the use made of the procedure. It was noted that use of the urgency procedure continues to decline.

Fraud prevention strategy

The strategy was agreed in December 2010. The Committee has now received the first update report. Members noted that the action plan showed that there had been good progress in implementing the Strategy.

MPA/MPS Assurance process

In accordance with the MPA/MPS Corporate Health and Safety policy, members of the MPS Management Board are required to provide a letter of assurance to the Commissioner who will subsequently provide appropriate assurance to the MPA. Letters of assurance were received on behalf of all Board members which provided confirmation that the relevant issues had been addressed. A letter of assurance from the Commissioner has also been received.

Annual Governance Statement

The Committee approved the Annual Governance Statement which the Authority is required to include in its financial statements. The Annual Governance Statement includes details of governance arrangements, highlighting how effectively they are being deployed and identifying significant governance issues and actions being taken to address them. In producing the Annual Governance Statement reliance is placed on the Annual Assurance Statement produced by the Metropolitan Police Service which was also submitted.

Police Driving

At the request of members a report was considered which provided information relating to police collisions and the Safe Driving Three programme. The report included data on trends over the last three years, the nature and severity of the collisions, an update on the MPS safe driving policy and any subsequent changes, an update on the four themes of education, police driving, processes and police collision investigation and lessons learnt and the action taken in respect of police officers involved in police collisions.

MPS Risk Management Update (exempt)

The Committee reviewed the current MPS risk register and a summary of the ongoing work to improve the quality of the risk analysis and information contained in the register.

Standards Committee – 13 July

(Members present: Christopher Boothman, Anne Dickens (Chair), Janet Gray (Vice Chair) and Kirsten Hearn.

Election of chair and vice chair

Anne Dickens was appointed Chair and Janet Gray as Vice Chair of the Standards Committee with the appointments made up until the first meeting of the Standards Committee after the annual meeting of the Authority in June 2012 or until such time as the Authority is abolished.

Guest speaker

The Committee welcomed Catherine Crawford, Chief Executive of the MPA who provided members with an update on the Police Reform and Social Responsibility (PRSR) Bill. The Committee were informed that since that last meeting of the Standards Committee, the PRSR Bill had been subjected too much debate in House of Lords and subject to a number of amendments. Members noted that a significant amendment that the House of Lords had agreed had been the decision that police chiefs should be appointed rather than elected. The Chief Executive expected that the Government would reintroduce this mater back into the Bill. She added that further amendments to be debated included those around complaints and conduct matters, corporation sole issues and appointments of senior officers.

Members were also informed that as the Bill remained in the House of Lords; Royal Assent was now not expected until September which would mean the MOPC would not come into force until December 2011. Although any further delays could see possible further delays to implementation of MOPC.

The Committee were discussed the GLA’s Policing and Crime Panel and its possible functions. It was noted that the Panel would be securitising the MOPC and that the Commissioner would be invited to attend meetings.

Update on the standards regime

Members received a report which provided an update on the progress of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill and the Decentralisation and Localism Bill, in so far as they affect the Standards Committee of the MPA.

Update on the local assessment of complaints about MPA

Members received an oral update that since it the Committee last meeting there had been no complaints received and therefore no meetings of the Assessment Sub-committee.

Annual report

Members received the Committee’s draft annual report for 2009/2010.

Standards indicators

Members received quarterly standard indicators for the periods January –March 2011 and July-April 2011.

Strategic and Operational Policing Committee – 14 July

Members present: Reshard Auladin (Chairman), Tony Arbour, Chris Boothman, Jennette Arnold, Victoria Borwick, Dee Doocey, Kirsten Hearn, Jenny Jones, Joanne McCartney, Kit Malthouse, Caroline Pidgeon, Valerie Shawcross and Valerie Brasse.

Urgent actions and operational issues

Members received an oral update on phone-hacking from the Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson. Sir Paul noted that he was looking forward to the opportunity of methodical and measured scrutiny presented by the Leveson Review, and he cautioned that given arrests in connection to Operation Weeting and various other judicial actions, he would need to be careful in briefing Members.

He noted that DAC Sue Akers was widely praised for the evidence that she gave to the Select Committee and affirmed that Operation Weeting was working to identify and contact all potential victims of phone-hacking. He stated that the MPS takes allegations of corruption very seriously and that corrupt officers were in no way representative of MPS officers and staff or what they stand for.

Sir Paul noted that on 20 and 22 June 2011, the Metropolitan Police Service was handed a number of documents, by News International, which contained information relating to the alleged inappropriate payment of MPS officers, and contacted the IPCC on 22 June accordingly. He informed Members of his commitment to appoint an independent ethics advisor in light of these allegations. Any advice given to the Commissioner by this advisor will be a matter of public record and will be fed into Lord Justice Leveson’s Review.

A Member noted that over the previous few years the MPA had sought and received assurances that the original investigation (Operation Caryatid) was thorough and complete and expressed concern that new evidence suggested that its parameters had in fact been drawn very tightly – to include hacking royalty only. She asked if AC Yates was aware of the terms of reference for the original inquiry and which senior officers he had consulted with. Sir Paul noted that he had no reason for any concerns over 2006 inquiry at any point and that he had received assurances that there were no new issues of relevance coming out in the disclosures of 2009.

A Member asked whether Sir Paul regretted a number of lunches over periods within which NI was being investigated, and in particular, a dinner with Neil Wallis in September 2006. The Commissioner responded that he had absolutely no involvement with the inquiry in 2006 and had no reason to suspect anyone with whom he dined of criminal activity. He noted that it is his belief that the MPS should use relationships with the media to set the context for policing and policing issues and to properly promote the image and the reputation of the organisation he leads but expressed awareness that the perception could be different – and that is why action is being taken. He informed Members that he remained very satisfied with his own integrity. He agreed that all details of meetings between officers and the media would and a register of gifts would be published online – as a Member cautioned that she had previously resorted to an FOI request in order to elicit this information.

The Commissioner was thanked for his time and then left the room. Deputy Commissioner Tim Godwin was asked to answer additional questions from Members.

A Member noted that the MPA had recently hosted the family of Daniel Morgan at a meeting and expressed concerns that the officer investigating their case was subject to surveillance. She asked if there would be an inquiry looking at officers whose phones were hacked and cases they were involved in to see if any information that was relevant at the time of investigation was leaked to the press and whether this prejudiced their cases. She noted that this is a matter of public confidence. Tim Godwin reinforced that the MPS regret the Daniel Morgan case and subsequent investigation. In relation to Dave Cook, he noted that the MPS are exploring that case and as this is part of an ongoing investigation he could not answer any questions on it. He agreed to write to the family in due course and to answer the MPA’s questions in writing.

A Member asked what action had been taken by the MPS following Rebekah Brooks’ statement to the HASC in 2003 that police officers were being paid for stories, and asked for a response to allegations in the New York Times that the MPS had suppressed inquiries into bribery in order to protect their relationship with NI. Another Member stated that Rebecca Brooks was approached at a press social event and questioned in a side-room by Andrew Baker and Dick Fedorcio regarding surveillance of DCS Cook and no further action was taken. He asked: first, who took the decision to proceed in that way – a conversation with the editor but no further action – and were then Commissioner or Deputy involved or informed? Secondly, were any other senior officers involved or informed? And finally, would John Yate’s team who reinvestigated the Daniel Morgan murder have known?

Tim Godwin responded that due to these questions being the subject of ongoing investigation he would have to respond in writing in due course. He noted that the MPS has the most robust anti corruption command of any police service in England and Wales but when you have 55,000 people on staff, you will always have the odd bad apple.

Presentation from Deborah Glass of the IPCC

The Chair introduced Deborah Glass, Deputy Chair of the IPCC. She began by noting that police forces received over 30000 complaints over 2010/11, and that of those received 2,401 were referred to the IPCC. Of these the IPCC chose to investigate 164 independently, managing a further 71, and supervising a further 74. The IPCC also handled over 6300 appeals. The IPCC received 549 referrals from the MPS and investigated 37 independently, managed a further 29, and supervised a further 36. Nine covert investigations were also supervised. She concluded that the trend was for the IPCC to investigate independently or to supervise (particularly thematically), as opposed to manage investigations.

The Chair asked whether the IPCC would be publishing its thematic review into complaints against the Territorial Support Group (TSG), to which Deborah Glass responded that it would and that she would be happy to return to SOP to present the findings.

Deborah Glass noted that of 21 decisions to prosecute following IPCC investigations in 2010/11, seven resulted in a finding of guilty (with a number of trials still pending). She noted good practice in the handing of young witnesses previously unwilling to give evidence – which aided in successfully prosecuting one case. A further 33 officers faced misconduct hearings, of which ten were dismissed.

In response to Members questions, Deborah Glass informed the Committee that the IPCC had investigated 13 deaths following police contact in the MPS area – 3 of which occurred when individuals were under arrest. She noted that the IPCC annual statistics on deaths following police contact were being released today and suggested that these be distributed to Members.

Deborah Glass noted the high level of success when decisions of non-recording, local resolution outcomes and investigation handling are appealed to the IPCC, and suggested that forces are very tied to process and the consideration of officer misconduct as opposed to addressing legitimate grievances and reaching a useful resolution. She agreed with a Member that the legislation around complaints handling is not useful on this point and that whilst the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill would remove some bureaucracy around complaints handling (particularly the process of dispensation), this fundamental problem remains.

Finance and Resources Committee – 21 July 2011

Members present: Dee Doocey (Chair), Faith Boardman, John Biggs, Dee Doocey, Amanda Sater, Steve O’Connell, Valerie Shawcross and Graham Speed.

Sub-committees

Faith Boardman was re-appointed as Chair of the Resources and Productivity Sub-committee and Graham Speed was re-appointed as the Vice-Chair. Graham Speed was also re-appointed as the Chair of the Estates Panel.

Revenue and capital budget monitoring

The first monitoring report for the 2011/12 financial year was received. The revenue budget at Period 2 (May 2011) is forecast to overspend by £25.2m (0.8% of budget) before any account is taken of the budget resilience provision. The Capital Programme as at the end of Period 2 shows year to date expenditure of £16m. This total represents 8.6% of the annual budget of £186.3m.

Efficiency plan monitoring

The outturn report for of the efficiency plan for 2008/9-2010/11 showed that there has been an over achievement of £64.6m. against the HM Treasury cumulative efficiency target of by £344.9m. which equates to 18.7%.

Members noted that this was the final report on the efficiency plan and congratulated all concerned for having over-achieved the target which had been set by HM Treasury.

First review of the capital programme 2011/12

A report providing details of the first review of the capital programme 2011/12 was considered. The Committee approved the revised capital programme of £227.2 m. gross and budget of £186.3m. and the revised funding proposals.

Cost of policing public events

The Committee received the annual report which sets out the annual policing costs associated with major public order events between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011. The information provided included a comparison of the costs of regular events with the previous years and an update on charging for police deployments at football matches.

Disposal of properties

There is a schedule of properties which have been identified for disposal in the current financial year. The Committee received reports in connection with the outcome of the disposal process in respect of the freehold interest in three properties: Sunbury Training Centre, 3 and 5 Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames and Ponders End former police station Enfield. Members approved the recommended bids which had been made following an open market tender. The receipts generated from these disposals will be allocated to the 2011/12 capital programme.

Command and control futures programme (exempt)

Command and controls is central to the operation of the MPS and is critical to the successful policing of London. The Command and Control processes include the answering of 999 and non emergency calls, the recording and collection of data and the control and dispatching of the relevant resources to incidents. This is mainly controlled through Central Communication Command (CCC) in TP although it is also used across a wide range of other Operational Command Units. The MPS system is one of the largest and most time critical police command and control systems in the world and therefore market testing activity has already taken place on a global as well as UK basis. The existing system uses software and hardware which is becoming increasingly difficult to support and the exiting contract expires in 2015.

The futures programme has been established to ensure that the current systems are replaced with a modern flexible system which will enable the command and control teams to continue to operate effectively and efficiently beyond 2015. Approval was given to the commencement of the procurement process. This is a major procurement exercise and members have asked to be kept advised of progress through a quarterly progress report.

Recycling, breaking and scrapping of vehicles from MPA car pounds (exempt)
Approval was given to the award of a new framework agreement following a formal competitive tendering exe

• Full Authority: Nick Baker
• Finance & Resources Committee/Corporate Governance Committee: John Crompton
• Strategic and Operational Policing Committee: Thomas Foot
• Communities, Equalities and People Committee: Michael Taylor

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